


Irish Eyes

by Ink_Gypsy



Series: Lucky Clover Diner Universe [43]
Category: Lord of the Rings RPF (AU)
Genre: M/M, Sean Astin/Elijah Wood - Freeform, birthday mathom, lucky clover diner universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-10
Updated: 2019-09-10
Packaged: 2020-10-14 01:23:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20592341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ink_Gypsy/pseuds/Ink_Gypsy
Summary: On a Sunday walk in the park, Sean and Elijah make two new friends.





	Irish Eyes

**Author's Note:**

> Written as a mathom for my friends for my 2019 birthday.

[ ](https://imgur.com/YdbEKlK)

The heat wave had finally broken, so on the first Sunday in September, Sean and Elijah took a walk in the park. It would make for a nice, peaceful afternoon, Sean thought, but when he saw a woman sitting on one of the park benches with an open cardboard box beside her, he wondered if it had been a good idea after all.

Elijah hadn’t brought up the idea of getting another cat, so Sean thought he might have given up on the idea, or at least hoped he had. Still, when he saw the woman with her cardboard box, Sean’s first thought was to turn Elijah in another direction before he had the chance to see her and wander over to see what she had with her. Unfortunately, he didn’t move fast enough.

Elijah had seen the woman, too, and pointing at her, said excitedly, “I think I saw something moving in that box. I bet it’s some kind of animal. Come on, let’s go see.” He took Sean’s arm, pulling him toward the bench. Sean knew it was useless to protest.

As luck would have it, the cardboard box did contain an animal, one lone kitten, and one look at the small bundle of brown, white and ginger fur had Elijah wide-eyed and looking dreamily at it. Sean sighed. If he was reading his young lover’s expression correctly, Elijah was already in love.

“Is it a boy or a girl?” Elijah asked as he used one finger to gently stroke the sleeping kitten’s head.

“It’s a female,” the woman replied. She was in her early thirties, an attractive brunette wearing jeans, a short-sleeved cotton shirt and sneakers. “A stray gave birth to her litter in our tool shed, so we’re trying to find the kittens new homes. She’s the only one left.”

“We should take her, Sean,” Elijah said immediately. “She and Cocoa can keep each other company while we’re at the diner.”

“I don’t know.”

The woman gave Sean a quizzical look then said, “I thought you looked familiar. You own The Lucky Clover Diner, don’t you?”

“That’s right,” Sean told her, “but I’m afraid I don’t remember seeing you. Have you been there often, Miss…?”

“Jenny Walters,” she introduced herself. “We’ve only been in a few times, but my husband Kevin and I are fairly new to the neighborhood. We asked our neighbors to recommend a good place to eat and they told us about the Lucky Clover.” As an afterthought she added, “They spoke very highly of you as well as the diner.” She glanced at Elijah. “Of both of you.”

“That’s nice to hear,” Sean responded.

Elijah said, “Thanks. The diner belonged to Sean’s parents, but he runs it now. I work there, too.”

“The food was great and we’ll definitely be back,” Jenny promised, then indicating the kitten, explained, “We’d keep her, but it’s a small house. We’ve taken in the mother, but we already have two other cats, so there’s just not enough room.” She sighed. “I can’t stand the idea of taking her to the animal shelter because if she doesn’t get adopted, well, you know what will happen, so I came to the park hoping to find someone who’d take her. All the others went to people we know, and while I’ll give her to a stranger if I have to, I’d feel much better knowing she was going home with someone I knew I could trust to take good care of her.”

“Please, Sean,” Elijah tried. “If she goes to the shelter and doesn’t get adopted…” He let the sentence hang for effect, then turned those imploring blue eyes on Sean. “She deserves a home with people who’ll love her.”

Sean knew Elijah was plucking on his heart strings, and it was working. The idea of the innocent, vulnerable kitten being euthanized made him feel sick, and it wasn’t as if they didn’t have all the paraphernalia they needed. Besides, two cats couldn’t be that much more trouble to take care of than one, could they? It was obvious that their new customer and Elijah were ganging up on him, playing on his sympathies, and if that wasn’t bad enough, the kitten decided to get into the act.

Elijah lifted her out of the box, holding her close to his face, and the kitten, who had been sleeping during the entire time they had been talking, chose that moment to open her eyes. “Look at her eyes, Sean!” Elijah exclaimed with obvious delight. “They’re the same color as yours!”

“Really?” Jenny asked.

Elijah turned the kitten around so the woman could see her eyes and asked, “Don’t you think they’re the same green as Sean’s?”

[](https://imgur.com/RFPG4eG)

Jenny studied the kitten’s eyes, then Sean’s. “They are the same color,” she agreed with a sly smile. “I’d call that a sign, wouldn’t you?”

Elijah quickly jumped on the band wagon. “Yeah. Definitely a sign that she belongs with us.”

Much as he didn’t want to get caught up in the conspiracy, Sean couldn’t resist taking a look, and of course, Elijah was right. The kitten’s eyes were the same color as his, moss green, with specks of gold. A sign Jenny Walters had called it, and he couldn’t blame her for using that term to try to win him over to her side. Hadn’t he had that same thought the night Elijah had brought Cocoa into the diner and he’d seen her eyes were as blue as Elijah’s?

After all the joy Elijah had given him, and asked so little in return, Sean found it impossible to refuse him anything, and knew he couldn’t start now. “It’s obvious I’m outnumbered here,” he said, throwing up his hands in defeat, “so it looks like this little girl will be coming home with us.“

“I’m so glad,” Jenny Walters told them, “and now that I know she’s going to a good home, I can go back to mine without feeling guilty. Thank you, guys.”

“We should be thanking you,” Elijah said, cuddling the kitten.

“I hope we’ll be seeing you at the diner soon,” was Sean’s response.

“You can bet on it,” Jenny assured him. “Goodbye.”

After she was gone, Elijah nestled the kitten against his chest as he and Sean started walking back their apartment. “I hope you like your new home, little one,” he told her.

Sean said, “I’m sure she will. I just hope Cocoa is as happy about it as you are.”

Elijah frowned. “You think they won’t get along?”

“Well, Cocoa’s bound to be jealous that someone new will be getting our attention.”

“You don't think she’d hurt the kitten, do you?” Elijah asked worriedly.

“It’s hard to say. Hopefully not, but we’d best keep them separated until we see how they get along. Any idea what you want to call her?”

Elijah nodded. “I think we should call her Irish. She does have your Irish eyes.”

The idea of it made Sean smile. “Irish,” he repeated, enjoying the sound of it. “I really like it.”

“What about you, pretty girl?” Elijah asked, gently touching the tip of his index finger to the kitten’s small, soft pink nose. “Do _you_ like your new name?”

When the kitten responded with a soft, high-pitched squeak, then proceeded to lick Elijah’s finger, Sean and Elijah interpreted it to mean that Irish liked her new name just fine.


End file.
